Having the children around the house for the Christmas holidays can be wonderful, but it can also be quite a challenge keeping them occupied. One way to get them out from under your feet is to set them to work making homemade decorations for the Christmas tree. They’ll have fun, and hopefully help you out at the same time.

Chocolate chip cookies: make up a batch of chocolate chip cookies (see recipe below). You could double the recipe if you want to give some as gifts. When you remove them from the oven and while they are still soft, make a small hole at the top of each biscuit. Place the hole just past the half way mark to ensure the cookie doesn’t break under its own weight. When cool, thread a pretty satin ribbon through and hang the biscuit on the tree.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 25 - 30 cookies

450g unsalted butter, softened
700g soft unrefined brown sugar
225g granulated sugar, unrefined
4 large eggs
1 vanilla pod
900g plain flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
450g plain chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod.
3. Put the flour, salt and baking powder into a sieve and sift into the butter mix. Fold to thoroughly combine then add the chocolate chips.
4. On a greased baking tray, drop 2 tbsp batter 5cm apart. Bake for 8 minutes at 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Cook in batches and cool on wire racks.

Raid the sweet jar

• Colourful lollipops wrapped in cellophane look great hanging from a tree. Sew a loop of twine into the top so that they hang freely.
• While you have the sewing box out make a garland. You will need a darning needle and waxed cotton. Thread American hard gums or fruit pastilles on to waxed cotton. They look great as the jewel colours and the sugar coating sparkle and catch the Christmas tree lights. You can also try this with thick licorice cut into 2in pieces, or air-popped popcorn.
• Using a combination of different sweets you can make model snowmen and Christmas trees by threading various gumdrops, licorice pieces, polo mints and gums into the shapes required. Cut up the sweets if necessary to suit your design.
• Get the children to paint some paper cups in bright colours, then secure one end of a pretty ribbon to the rim. Staple the other end of the ribbon to the opposite side of the cup rim and glue on a small decoration to hide the staples. Fill the cups with Quality Street Chocolates and hang them on the Christmas tree.

Need a Christmas gift idea? Make your own edible one